Section: Travel:City breaks

THE top cities in the WORLD have been announced from far-flung Asia to the ‘city of love’ that has cheap UK flights.

Readers of Conde Nast Traveller voted for their “favourite urban sprawls across the planet” to decide which ones are the best and it might be time to book that bucket list trip to Thailand.

Taking the number one spot on the list is Bangkok which was praised for its “buzzy markets, glittering palaces and captivating religious sites unite – street food sellers dishing up tasty food between them all, of course.”

When Assistant Travel Editor Sophie Swietochowski visited Bangkok she picked up tasty dishes for the equivalent of £1 – you can also pick up beer for as little as £1.14 according to Wise.

She said: “Within an hour of being in Thai capital Bangkok’s Chinatown we have sampled street food including noodle soup splashed with vinegar, fish sauce and sugar; crunchy corn parcels.

“A bowl of salty critters, displayed next to a row of scorpions on sticks; purple mashed potatoes shaped into doughy, salty balls; and traditional sweet luk chup, made with mung beans.”

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She also visited Lebua Hotel’s Sky Bar, which was the filming location from 2011 buddy comedy film The Hangover 2 and it’s home to the “world’s highest open-air whisky bar”, Alfresco 64.

The city coming second on the list is much closer for Brits to visit, it’s Paris.

The French capital is said to have “topped bucket lists of international travellers for centuries thanks to an unrivalled food culture, grand monuments, world-class museums and subtly seductive atmosphere.”

From the UK it’s easy to reach the French capital either on the Eurostar or plane with one-way flights as little as £13.

There’s so much to do in Paris from sight-seeing landmarks like the Eiffel Tower or wandering around the Louvre.

When Travel Reporter Alice Penwill ventured to Paris for an extreme daytrip on the Eurostar she had some suggestions on how to spend time there.

She said: “To start the morning off right, it would be a crime not to pop into one of Paris’ many bakeries, or boulangeries, for a croissant and a coffee.

“Take one to go and stroll along the Seine before heading into the Musée  d’Orsay where you can see work by artists like Monet, Renoir and Van Gogh.

“Afterwards, head back along the Seine to see the beautiful Notre Dame which has now reopened to visitors. And if you’re a fan of books, pop across to the famous bookshop, Shakespeare And Company.”

Turkey’s capital, Istanbul was named the third best city in the world which was called “chaotic in all the best ways.”

The publication said: “Centuries of history sit alongside a vibrant contemporary culture, with new waves of artisans luring travellers into chic boutiques after tours of places like Topkapı Palace, the Blue Mosque and the sweet-scented Grand Bazaar.”

Meanwhile, Deputy Travel Editor Kara Godfrey suggests visiting the Karaköy neighbourhood which is set on Istanbul’s European side.

She described it as a “trendy pocket of an otherwise busy, but beautiful city.”

If you wander into Karaköy’s backstreets and climb towards neighbouring Galata, you’ll find that cobbled lanes and historic buildings lead to the landmark Galata Tower.

Head up for spectacular views across the Golden Horn, Bosphorus and historic peninsula – it’s especially beautiful in the late afternoon.

Valletta in Malta comes in at number five and it’s a popular spot for Brits thanks to its 300 days of annual sunshine.

Even in November it can see highs of 18C – and it’s reachable from the UK in just over three hours and flights are as little as £15.

It was voted last year’s top city thanks to its mix of ancient but also modern feel and architecture.

Other popular winter sun destinations that made the list include Cape Town in South Africa which in January and February has highs of 25C – while the UK shivers in highs of 8C.

There’s also no jet lag because Cape Town is either one or two hours in front of the UK – depending on the time of year.

When Head of Travel (Digital) Caroline McGuire visited, she saw Table Mountain, lots of wildlife, vineyards and was impressed with an area called Kalk Bay.

She said: “At the town’s upmarket Harbour House restaurant, we dined on seafood and good wine for the price of a Pizza Hut meal in the UK — all while watching seals swimming in the harbour. 

“Our accommodation was the charming Chartfield Guesthouse, staying in a huge two-bedroom apartment. It was bigger than my house back home, and cost only £94 a night. 

“Kalk Bay is a prime spot for visiting the endangered African penguins of neighbouring Simonstown – there must have been around 100 on the town’s shoreline.”

These are the top 20 cities according to Conde Nast Traveller…

1. Bangkok, Thailand – score 97.68
2. Paris, France – score 97.14
3. Istanbul, Turkey – score 96.67
4. Rome, Italy – score 95.96
5. Valletta, Malta – score 95.76
6. Shanghai, China – score 95.19
7. Tokyo, Japan- score 94.76
8. Seoul, South Korea – score 93.76
9. Sydney, Australia – score 92.72
10. Amsterdam, Netherlands – score 92.44
11. Stockholm, Sweden – score 91.17
12. Vienna, Austria – score 90.97
13. Lisbon, Portugal – score 89.70
14. Hong Kong – score 89.47
15. Cape Town, South Africa – score 88.33
16. Porto, Portugal – score 87.78
17. Madrid, Spain – score 87.70
18. New York, United States – score 86.47
19. Jaipur, India – score 86.22
20. Singapore – score 85.85

YOU SAY Oxford Circus, you think crowded streets and busy shops – but there is a whole other side to it you might not have known about.

So we’ve taken it on in two different way – as a busy mum looking to keep her kid busy, to a girly weekend in the city without going to the shops.

Blow dry bars, Mexican afternoon teas and gorgeous Italian dinners

Kara Godfrey, Deputy Travel Editor, explores the busy centre on a girly weekend wanting some pampering.

Growing up in the countryside, my first impression of London was the hubbub of Soho, with bustling streets full of eager shoppers elbowing each other out of the way.

Yet 20 years later, having since moved to (and left) the crazy capital, I know there is more to the iconic city centre than its shops.

And with the announcement that it is about to become pedestrianized, it’s about to become an attraction in its own right.

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If you want to explore the centre of London without actually dipping into the shops, it also makes for the perfect girly day out either with your best mate or your mum – if you know where to go as a local.

It is a fantastic destination for a pamper, with affordable nail salons and hairdressers – and did you know one of London’s most famed blow dry bars is found at the bottom of the John Lewis department store?

Having first launched in Chelsea back in 2014 (becoming a fave with the Made in Chelsea stars), Duck & Dry has become an institution for the place to go before a big event.

I sank into the plush chairs, laidback music overheard while I chatted to my hairdresser as my hair was massaged and washed.

As a woman in my mid-30s, I’ve realised that it’s the little luxuries that make life worth it and a person kneading all of my worries away is one of them.

Just 30 minutes later, I left a new woman with a fresh new do so gorgeous, I even bought a blow dry brush on my way out to try and replicate it at home.

(Don’t stop there though, one of my favourite nails bars, Cona, is just around the corner, with the hidden salon tucked behind the bold oranged painted cafe front).

Hair done, nailed fixed – we needed something to line our stomach and gone are the days of our 20s where we opted for a bottomless brunch.

Being more afternoon tea gals, one of the more unique ones is found in the Treehouse Hotel just off the main high street.

This isn’t your usual afternoon tea, however, (although you will still find a scone or two on top) – it’s called the Afternoon Te-Quila, so expect a Mexican fusion.

Starting with a freshly made margharita, we gorged on fresh fish tacos, pumpkin pies and even a unique chocolate taco, pumped full of decadent chocolate mousse.

The views are just as amazing, looking out over London from the top floor, but as I sat under a ceiling of green hanging plants, I was transported to somewhere much more tropical.

There is so much to do outside of this as well that doesn’t require you to lug shopping bags around town.

Or how about catching a West End show? The Palladium has some fantastic shows coming up including Delta Goodrem, Michael Ball and of course the Christmas panto.

(While I might have said there is so much to do along the high street without the shops, I would still recommend popping into the new M&S flagship, with four entire floors of homeware, clothes and a Food Hall. I may have left with both new linen trousers and some Percy Pigs…)

Don’t think I forgot about dinner, because London isn’t one of the world’s best food capitals for no reason.

And with more than 600 restaurants to choose from, according to OpenTable, where do you even start?

Well I’ve found just the place, if you want somewhere slightly quieter away from the crowds, but with fantastic service, a low-key atmosphere and hearty, Italian portions.

Enter Lavo at the BoTree.

Start at the bar for a cocktail – while the menu might sound confusing, it explains which cocktail they are similar to, so I had their version of a negroni.

On weekends there is also a live DJ who toes the line of great, lo-fi music without being so loud you can’t hear each other.

Slightly woozy at this point, my direction to my table was welcome before gorging on towering piles of tuna tartare and large bowls of penne a la vodka.

Our extremely funny server even tempted us into sharing what is now going down as one of the best tiramasus we’ve ever eaten.

And when you need to rest your weary feet from a day of pounding the pavements, you can’t get much more central than the Radisson Blu Bond Street.

Currently undergoing a renovation, it is just steps from the main road, with some of the best views of the high street from my room overlooking the shops.

With Oxford Circus not having many late night openings, don’t worry about not getting any sleep, as it was super quiet once everything had closed.

The cosy restaurant – with that brand new smell – also had a fantastic breakfast spread to refuel, from pancakes and avocado toast to all of the pastries and trimming of a Full English.

So while Oxford Circus will always be known at the shopping high street, there is so much more to it to bring your out of town friend, siblings or parents to without having to step into a shop.

Unless you get a Percy Pig craving, that is.

Illusion museums, kid-friendly food halls and ‘treehouse’ hotels

Caroline McGuire, Head of Travel (Digital), explores as a mum with a seven-year-old to keep occupied

As a London mum, I regularly take my seven year old into the city centre for theatre, museums, parks and all the other awesome attractions it has to offer kids. 

But Oxford Street? Are you mad? It’s somewhere I’d actively avoided, assuming it was the worst place for a very active kid who loves running around and touching everything in sight. 

How wrong I was. Because we recently spent an overnight stay on Europe’s most famous high street… and it was one of our best 24 hours in the capital. 

Oxford Street has changed a lot since I was a kid, coming up from the home counties to spend my Christmas money at Topshop. 

In some ways for the bad (those many American candy stores), but in many other ways for the good. 

As some of the big chain stores have departed, enterprising new ventures have opened up that are perfect for a family day out. 

Take for instance, the Twist Museum. A brilliantly fun illusion museum – even though the grumpy middle aged woman in me still insists it’s not a museum.

We had such a great time exploring all of the mind-bending activities, our favourites being the 3D hologram creator, the mirror room and the ‘big and small room’. 

It was so cool that I now have three pictures from there alone on my fridge at home – high praise. 

Equally fun was Swingers Golf and Carnival Games, which I’d always written off as an adults-only venue for big kids at heart to have fun with a beer. 

Not so, as during the day in the school holidays it was packed with families enjoying easily the best crazy golf I’ve ever done in my life. 

Then you get a half-hour pass to play as many games as you can in a retro-style arcade. 

As a parent who’s forked out more pound coins than I care to remember at amusement arcades, it was a total joy to do it all for free… and with a time limit. Plus, I got to sip on an extremely good frozen marg while I did it.

If the kids are feeling hungry, their food offering is a godsend. Several high-end food trucks like Patty and Bun burgers and Breddos tacos mean you can all pick what you want to eat. 

If you’re looking for something every so slightly more highbrow, we ended our day at Frameless – the very cool digital art experience where you’re put inside famous paintings, as they surround you on huge screens and come to life.

It was really surprising to see how much my son engaged with such old paintings, which he may have dismissed as stuffy in a gallery, by bringing them to life. 

Of course after pounding the streets for so long, we were in need of some refreshments, so we headed to Market Halls, which has every food any foodie or fussy kid would want. 

I dined on Malaysian Nasi Goreng and Thai soup, while my son had savoury crepes for main… and Nutella crepes for pudding. 

Thankfully, with our extremely full stomachs we didn’t have far to go to lay our heads, as we were booked into the Treehouse Hotel, an achingly cool and modern property on Langham Place, with some of the best views of London I’ve ever seen. 

Our room was very Scandi-style, with a lovely window seat so we could look out over the city. 

The next morning, we managed to find space in our stomachs for brekkie, at the Mexican inspired Madera restaurant, where I had a bagel topped with scramble tofu, vegan cheese and jalapeno pickled red onions, while my son opted for the waffles with whipped cream and berries. 

We lingered far too long over breakfast, sad to tear ourselves away from the stunning views from our table. 

All that fun of museums, art exhibitions, golf, arcades, and some fantastic food and drink, without stepping foot into a shop?

Teenage me would never believe it.

The New West End Company represents 100 streets in the district including Oxford Street, Regent Street and Bond Street.

They explain: “New West End Company is solely focused on representing and keeping the West End thriving. Established more than two decades ago, today our 800+ membership includes the most respected names in global retail, leisure, hospitality, real estate and business.

“We keep our West End streets clean and safe, promote world-class experiences, provide trusted data and insight, and make the case for policies that support growth. Between 2026-2031, we are investing £60 million to make the district stronger, safer and even more competitive.

“Together with our partners – including Westminster City Council, the Metropolitan Police, the Mayor of London – we are proud to shape the district our members thrive in.“